Coming Kingdom: H.C. Question 123

Posted on Nov 27, 2017 by admin in Heidelberg Catechism | Tags: , , , 5540

What does the second petition mean? 
 
Psalm 119:5 – Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!
 
Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
 
Psalm 143:10 – Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
 
Matthew 6:33 – But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
 
Psalm 122:6-9 – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.  May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”  For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.
 
Matthew 16:18 – And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
 
Acts 2:42-47 – They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
 
Romans 16:20 – The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.  The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
 
1 John 3:8 – The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
 
Romans 8:22-23 – We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
 
1 Corinthians 15:28 – When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
 
Revelation 22:17 – The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty
come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Revelation 22:20 – He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.


Condemning Violence: H.C. Question 107

Posted on Oct 4, 2017 by admin in Heidelberg Catechism | Tags: , , , , 2070

Is it enough then that we do not murder our neighbor in any such way? 

Matthew 7:12 – So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 22:39 – And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Romans 12:10 – Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Matthew 5:3-12 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Luke 6:36 – Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Romans 12:10 – Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:18 – If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Galatians 6:1-2 – Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Ephesians 4:2 – Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Colossians 3:12 – Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

1 Peter 3:8 – Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

Exodus 23:4-5 – “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.

Matthew 5:44-45 – But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Romans 12:20-21 – On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Proverbs 25:21-22 – If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.


More than Murder: H.C. Question 106

Posted on Oct 3, 2017 by admin in Heidelberg Catechism | Tags: , , , , 1570

Does this commandment refer only to murder? 

Proverbs 14:30 – A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Romans 1:29 – They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,

Romans 12:19 – Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Galatians 5:19-21 – The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 John 2:9-11 – Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

1 John 3:15 – Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

 


Open and Closed Preaching: H.C. Question 84

Posted on Aug 1, 2017 by admin in Heidelberg Catechism | Tags: , , , , 4122

How does preaching the holy gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven? 

Matthew 16:19 – I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

John 3:31-36 – The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

John 20:21-23 – Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”


Hebrews 12 – Cloud of Witnesses

Posted on Oct 31, 2016 by Jonathon VanderWall in Daily Bible Journal, Hebrews | Tags: , , , 1111

Read Hebrews 12

Do you ever feel like you are standing alone in your life?  Do you ever feel like the world is not on your side?  Lately, it seems, Christians have been a lot more isolated in North America because of their faith.  We don’t feel like we can talk openly about anything or even share our points of view because it seems to be no longer welcome.  We’ve been labeled, dismissed, and in some cases, even forcefully put to the margins of life.  It can feel very lonely.

In the context that the book of Hebrews was written, Christianity was facing some hard times, much worse that anything that we have experienced today.  Christians were hunted, imprisoned, and killed in numbers greater than pretty much every other time in history.  You can imagine that this was a bit isolating; a very trying time for the young Church.

However, the author reminds us here that we are never alone in our struggles.  It seems rather obvious for us to say that “God is always with us,” but the author is saying that and more here.  Yes God is with us in the same way that God has been with so many that have come before us, that have persevered through the life of faith, through all the trials and tribulations, and who fixed their eyes on the Messiah who would save them from all the evil of this world.

And so we are called to persevere, to run the race marked out for us.  We fix our eyes on Jesus because He is the one who gives us the strength and ability to run this race.  He also gives us the model for how we are to live in the midst of persecution, peacefully and lovingly, so that all will look and see Jesus Christ in us.


Ephesians 4 – Mature Unity

Posted on Aug 30, 2016 by Jonathon VanderWall in Daily Bible Journal, Ephesians | Tags: , , , 4897

Read Ephesians 4

So, Paul writes, what are we going to do in light of this?  His writing often takes this turn into practical application, something theology should always do because the reality of Christ in us is not just something we acknowledge in our heads, it is in our hearts and lived out in our lives.

What does that mean here in the book of Ephesians?  It means we should be taking our cues from Christ, living a transformed life through the Holy Spirit.  God, who has drawn us near to Himself through the life and work of Jesus Christ calls us to draw near to each other, to be unified showing the same love that He has shown us.  This is, as Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians, the freedom we have in Christ to love one another, to put others before ourselves.

This idea of being unified can be a bit confusing for us.  Especially in today’s culture, unity is often misconstrued as thinking the same way ideologically, politically, and even religiously.  When we have differences, we tend to push others away.  That is not at all the way God showed His love for us.  In fact, in the midst of our differences and the barriers that were in place, God stepped toward us, drawing us in rather than pushing us away.

When people wrong us do we push them away or step toward them in love?

Using this as an example, Paul encourages the Church to rise above their differences of opinion and exhibit the same love, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that Christ showed us.  We are of one body, we have one God, and we have one identity that binds us together.  As such, we can transcend our human differences for the and live together in peace.

Doing so may not always be perfect, comfortable, or even clean.  There are bound to be bumps in the road.  However, the encouragement here is not to let those things be a reason to push others away, but that in those times we would step into the gap and move closer to the other in that relationship and in so doing, show the love of God to all those around us, whether in the Church or not.


Romans 5 – Justified

Posted on Jun 21, 2016 by Jonathon VanderWall in Daily Bible Journal, Romans | Tags: , , , 5817

Read Romans 5

Paul repeats the phrase “since we have been justified” multiple times in this chapter.  He has set up this chapter through a systematic breakdown of both sin and the need for justification through Jesus Christ.

The word “justification” is a legal term that literally means that one is deemed or declared right or correct in the sight of the judge.  Paul has made the case that, because of sin, God is right and justified in judging us guilty.  He says this in a number of different ways.  We are guilty before God, enemies of God, and dead in sin.  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Paul writes in Romans 3:23.

But that isn’t the end of the story!  Paul continues, “All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  This is an enormous statement in and of itself, yet now Paul is beginning to lay out what that actually means for us.

Since we have been justified by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ…

  • we are no longer enemies with God but have peace with Him.  This brings clarity to one way that Jesus makes a way for us to once again be in relationship with God.
  • we once again have life where death once reigned.  Sin made us an enemy of God and brought with it death, both physical and spiritual.  But in Jesus Christ there is life, as John says at the beginning of his Gospel.
  • we have hope in this life and for the life to come as well.  The reality of trials and suffering is a given in Scripture.  Jesus Himself said so.  But the deeper reality of grace and salvation give us true hope in the midst of every trial.

Acts 27 – The Journey to Rome

Posted on Jun 13, 2016 by Jonathon VanderWall in Acts, Daily Bible Journal | Tags: , , , 2930

Read Acts 27

Paul’s journey to Rome is not an easy one.  He traveled as a prisoner, which meant that little care was given to him.  Yet the centurion that was in charge of Paul seems to have some compassion for him, at least at first.

As the journey continues on, things get rougher for Paul and for all who are on board the ship.  Against Paul’s warning, they decide to leave the relative safety of one harbor for another that would be better for the ship.  This turns out to be disastrous.

Yet in the midst of all of this, the prisoner Paul becomes the voice of calm reassurance and salvation for all those on board this ill-fated voyage.   Ironically, this isn’t the first time a prisoner saved his captors.

Paul tells them the angel’s message, an encouragement if there ever was one in that moment, and then beckons them to eat, breaking bread in the same manner Jesus did at the last summer.  Though the situation seems bleak, God is abundantly present, protecting and providing for Paul and those traveling with them.

We are all called to different journeys in life as we follow God and live out our faith.  Some of these journeys are physical, some are spiritual, but all require us to listen and to obey.  Too often, when we run into difficulty, we think that we might be on the wrong track or that God has somehow abandoned us.  Yet it is clear here that Paul was right where God wanted him to be.

In our faith journey, we can take our cues from Paul here.  I’m sure he didn’t enjoy being tossed about in the boat, much less traveling as a prisoner.  However, he remained faithful through it all, trusting in God’s wisdom and providence.


John 20 – Peace Be With You

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Jonathon VanderWall in Daily Bible Journal, John | Tags: , , , , 1603

Read John 20

The celebration of Easter Sunday is marked in the Church by great celebrations.  We often have lively music, rousing sermons, and well-dressed individuals present to hear them.  More people than normal come out for this particular Sunday because of its perceived importance in life and faith, and rightly so.  Jesus’ resurrection is the pinnacle of the Christian faith, the zenith of the Church year, and the most transformative event of all time.

While much of this celebration is focused on conquering death and the new life that we have in Christ, which isn’t wrong, John’s Gospel offers another theme that doesn’t readily come to mind when we think of Easter: Peace.

At every event in which Jesus appears to someone after His resurrection and His chat with Mary in the Garden, Jesus offers the peace.  “Peace be with you,” He says.  Earlier, in John 14, Jesus also comments on that peace, a peace that He leaves with them, one that He now gives to them again.

This peace is an important element of one of John’s themes, pitting Jesus as the light the world who hate Him and loves the darkness.  Now, once all has taken place and Jesus accomplished all He was sent to do, true peace once again reigns.  Through Christ we have peace with God; we can have a relationship with Him once again, which leads to a subtle yet powerful image that John places at the end of His Gospel: God in the garden once again.

When the world was created, God walked with Adam and Eve in His garden.  After Jesus was raised, He too walked in the garden, but instead of asking “where are you,” as the Father did to Adam and Eve, Jesus calls her by name and she is not afraid.


Luke 1:68-79 "Advent Peace"

Posted on Dec 6, 2015 by Jonathon VanderWall in Luke, Sermons | Tags: , 1980

In a season where the celebration of the holidays have taken precedence over the meaning and reason for their celebration, it is important for us to turn our attention to Christ, the Prince of peace. Today we explore some of the implications of the Peace of Christ in our lives.

1. Through Christ I have peace with God. I am forgiven (Romans 5).
2. Through Christ I am able to have peace with myself (Romans 8). I have not been given a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). “Let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” Colossians 3:15
3. Through Christ I am called to show peace with others (Romans 12:18). We are bringers of Shalom.

-How can I be a “bringer of peace” this Advent Season?
-Who is God calling me to show His peace to in my life?
-What are places in my life that I need to let the peace of Christ in?


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